2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire

Hedonistic to the extreme and pushing the ripeness scale, yet keeping everything in check, the 2007 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire (almost 100% Grenache, with a splash of Mourvèdre, that’s from the Farguerol lieu-dit in the northwest part of the appellation) is a knockout Châteauneuf-du-Pape that oozes deep blackberry styled fruits, melted licorice, spice cake, roasted meat, and garrigue aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and voluptuous on the palate, with a thick, rich texture that’s brilliantly balanced by incredible freshness and ripe tannin, this gorgeous 2007 doesn’t pull any punches, yet is nevertheless, a monumental wine that has 2+ decades of longevity.

Vivid red color. Seductive, highly expressive aromas of raspberry, anise, Asian spices, smoky minerals and potpourri. Juicy, sweet and palate-staining, with vibrant red and dark berry flavors and superb clarity and back-end florality. The extremely long finish leaves sweet floral pastille and raspberry notes behind. This is one of the most seductive wines of the vintage and is already showing a lot of complexity. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington D.C.